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New Delhi: A local journalist based in Rajkot, Gujarat, Sudesh Vadecha, has alleged that he was subjected to severe torture while in police custody. Vadecha, who runs an online media outlet titled ‘Khabar Rajkot Ki News’, claimed that Rajkot Crime Branch deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Jagdish Bangadwa and his team subjected him to a brutal beating and inhumane treatment.

However, the police have categorically denied these claims, terming them as “drama.”

Speaking to The Wire over the phone, Vadecha recounted that on March 22, the police apprehended him from a location approximately two kilometers from his residence.

“Crime Branch personnel took me away without offering any explanation,” he alleged. “I was beaten up in connection with an alleged extortion case. They stripped me naked and poured petrol into my genitals. I was suspended upside down and thrashed like an animal which led to a ruptured eardrum, a fractured leg, and severe injuries to my back and head.”

According to Vadecha, he was admitted to the Rajkot Civil Hospital on March 23. He alleged, “When I was discharged 24 hours later, my condition had deteriorated. I arrived at the hospital via a ‘108’ ambulance, but even there, police officers were pressuring the doctors not to admit me. I was also threatened with being implicated in false cases and having my house demolished.”

The journalist asserted that the entire episode is connected to a builder named Asim Agam, regarding whose illegal construction activities he had previously reported. “There was no substantial complaint against me, yet – acting at his behest – I was framed and subjected to this assault,” he claimed.

Meanwhile, speaking to The Wire, Rajkot Crime Branch DCP Bangarwa dismissed these allegations.

“We have not subjected him to any physical assault. He is a criminal, and multiple criminal cases have been registered against him,” Bangarwa told The Wire.

The DCP also shared certain documents, according to which eight cases have been registered against Vadecha between 2020 and 2025, the majority of which pertain to disturbing the peace and local disputes. In some cases, the complainants subsequently recommended that the cases be dismissed.

The latest case dates back to March 10, 2026, where Bharatbhai Virjibhai Sagar, the proprietor of ‘Bhagyalakshmi Scrap,’ has accused Vadecha of attempting to extort large sums of money by recording a video of his “business premises.”

However, while speaking to The Wire, Sagar could not specify the content of the alleged video. Much like the police, he also described the allegations of physical assault as “drama.”

It is important to note, however, that this is not an official FIR, but merely an application submitted by Sagar to the DCP’s office.

Speaking to The Wire Hindi, Vadecha categorically denied the allegations of extortion.

Meanwhile, on March 27, Congress MLA from Vadgam Jignesh Mevani visited Vadecha at the Rajkot Civil Hospital and shared a video of their meeting on social media.

According to PTI, Mevani has written a letter to the chief minister demanding the registration of an FIR against the DCP, as well as his arrest and dismissal.

“मेरी गुदा में राजकोट के DCP ने पेट्रोल डाला” – यह फरियाद है गुजरात के राजकोट शहर के पत्रकार सुरेश वड़ैचा की! कल उन्होंने मुझे बताया है कि “बिना किसी FIR के राजकोट क्राइम ब्रांच के DCP जगदीश बांगरवाने मेरी टांग तोड़ दी और मेरे गुदा मार्ग दो बार पेट्रोल भर दिया” @ANI @PTI_News pic.twitter.com/i64AE6PYA9 — Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) March 27, 2026

“मेरी गुदा में राजकोट के DCP ने पेट्रोल डाला” – यह फरियाद है गुजरात के राजकोट शहर के पत्रकार सुरेश वड़ैचा की! कल उन्होंने मुझे बताया है कि “बिना किसी FIR के राजकोट क्राइम ब्रांच के DCP जगदीश बांगरवाने मेरी टांग तोड़ दी और मेरे गुदा मार्ग दो बार पेट्रोल भर दिया” @ANI @PTI_News pic.twitter.com/i64AE6PYA9

— Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) March 27, 2026

Speaking to PTI, DCP Bangarwa stated, “A criminal complaint is pending against him, and he is doing all this to evade the investigation.” He further alleged that Mevani is raising this issue for “personal motives.”

Mevani’s Letter to the chief minister.

Former Gujarat IPS officer Ramesh Savani has also reacted to this matter. In a Facebook post, he described the allegations as extremely serious, stating, “Even a court of law cannot impose such a punishment.”

“If the allegations are indeed true, why did the police cross legal boundaries to commit such brutality?” he asked

Savani further wrote that there were no serious criminal cases pending against Vadecha; thus, if he was subjected to such treatment nonetheless, it is a matter of grave concern. He additionally claimed that such brutality is frequently inflicted upon individuals belonging to vulnerable and marginalised communities.

At present, the claims made by both parties in this matter are completely contradictory. On one side, the journalist is leveling serious allegations, whereas on the opposite side, the police are refuting them.

Custodial brutality: Gujarat among top five states

Recent government statistics concerning custodial deaths and alleged police brutality throughout the country also paint a grim picture. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), as of March 15 this year, there have been 170 cases of custodial deaths nationwide – surpassing the total of 140 cases recorded during the entire previous year.

The data reveals that Gujarat is one of the states where the prevalence of such cases remains a persistent cause for concern. As of March 15 this year, 14 cases of custodial deaths were recorded in Gujarat, placing it among the states with the highest rates of such incidents.

Data from the MHA indicates that there were 24 deaths in Gujarat in 2021-22, followed by 15 in 2022-23, 18 in 2023-24, and 14 in 2024-25, with 14 deaths have been recorded so far this year. During this same period, 14 cases have also been reported in Maharashtra, while Bihar (19), Rajasthan (18), and Uttar Pradesh (15) rank above Gujarat on this list.

Translated from the Hindi original – which first appeared on The Wire Hindi – by Naushin Rehman. 

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